


Impostor Syndrome

by enthusiasticAlias



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternating POV for the first three chapters, Body Dysphoria, Dont copy to another site, Flame Harmonization (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Gen, Good Nana, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reincarnation, Sawada Iemitsu’s A+ Parenting, Self-Insert, Sort Of, Swearing, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-11-08 02:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20827610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enthusiasticAlias/pseuds/enthusiasticAlias
Summary: Everything she does is fake, scripted, and carefully planned as to remain the same. Every action she takes, every word she says, is her desperate attempt to survive in this story she had known by heart. But it's hopeless. She could never shine as brightly as he had. None ofhisaccomplishments will ever truly be her own....She misses the days of his childhood when she was calledfreakyandwrong.At least those names werehersand nothis.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading fanfiction since 2014, and now I've finally written my own. Its kinda an amazing feeling.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :D

_Sawada Tsunayoshi is weird,_ thinks Takeshi as he watches the sullen boy a few seats away from him in the classroom. The class is lively and energetic, the constant chattering of students only drowned out by the sound of Hirota-sensei trying to futilely teach a bunch of excited seven-year-olds math. Sawada stood out like a sore thumb to him, the boy acted so different compared to everyone else. He hardly ever smiled, and always shied away from anyone trying to get him to play and have fun, choosing instead to just sit and draw with the girls in the class, and even then he barely spoke to them. No matter how many times he tried to befriend the quiet boy or get him to play, Sawada always brushed him off. 

Takashi’s Kaa-san and Tou-san said he should try to make lots of friends, and he has, but people flock to Sawada. No matter how quiet he is or how weird he acts people constantly try and befriend him yet he never gives them the time of day. He’s jealous of Sawada, who could make friends as easy as breathing but chooses not too. Of Sawada who acts so much colder to Takeshi out of everyone who tries to be his friend. Of Sawada who acts so _cold_ but is so _warm_ and confusing and _he wants that._ He wants to be his friend. 

“Hey Sawada!” He said suddenly over the chatter of the other students. The boy startles at his name. Not expecting Takeshi to call him, but that's fine, he really didn't expect to either. Well he has already started, can’t quit now. 

“We’re gonna play baseball after school, you should come play with us. It’ll be fun!” Takeshi grins at him, maybe he’ll actually join this time. They could play and maybe he’ll start to be less cold and- 

“No.” 

The reply was clipped, standoffish, and Takeshi’s face flushed. He felt embarrassed, why did he think that today would be different? 

“-Hey Sawada! Come on, you never play with any of us!” Another student pipes up and he’s relieved when some of the other students start nodding along. 

“I don’t want to play with any of you.” The boy muttered quietly, shifting in his seat, and a hush fell on the surrounding students. Sawada’s never answered back more than a ‘No.’ before. 

“So you gotta problem with us or something?” Retorted Mochida, getting visibly agitated at his words. 

“Yes. I don’t like you. I don't like any of you. Leave me alone.” He snapped back, sitting stiffly in his seat, knuckles gripping his desk. Takeshi swallowed, and shifted in his own seat. He felt nervous now and he didn't know why. 

“Do you think you're better than us you- you _freaky_-Tsuna?! Is that it? What’s _wrong_ with you?!” Mochida all but snarled back and Sawada looked away from Mochida and down to his desk. His face going dark. And Takeshi was _scared_ because the face he was making was so terribly _wrong._

He had only ever seen someone make a face like that when he had snuck downstairs late one night to try and get a snack and instead he had found his Tou-san with the same _wrong_ look on his face as he stared at the old bamboo sword on the wall of the restaurant, full of regret and pain. Takeshi made sure to smile extra bright the next day to try and cheer his Tou-san up but he doesn’t think smiling at him now would help at all. 

_“I lost everything that had ever mattered to me.”_

It was barely above a whisper, but he heard it. But he didn't _understand it._ How has Sawada lost anything, let alone everything? Takeshi has never seen him with his Tou-san, so maybe that? But he still has a Kaa-san who picks him up from school. He doesn’t know what he’d do without his Kaa-san and Tou-san, but he would never want to not have his Tou-san there for him. 

The abrupt sound of a chair scraping against the floor brought Takeshi out of his thoughts and his eyes widened as he saw Mochida angrily stalking to where Sawada sat. His own chair made a loud screech as he quickly stood and took a few steps forward just as Mochida reached Sawada. Mochida’s arms shot out and he twisted his hands into the front of Sawada’s shirt and yanked him up by his collar. 

“All we wanna do is be your _friend_ freaky-Tsuna! Why are you always _like_ this?” Mochida spat as Sawada stood there limply, not even flinching. 

“Hey- that’s not cool! Stop!” He hurriedly said. The room was tense and everyone had their eyes on the three of them now. 

“Cut it out Mochida!” 

“You’re being a bully!” 

“Stop being mean!” 

People were joining in now, perhaps by him taking that first step or them just gaining courage, but others were beginning to stand up as well. 

“Let me go, Mochida. Sensei’s back.” Sawada’s voice was quiet, but even, calm. 

The sound of the classroom door opening drew the attention of the class and Mochida leapt away from Sawada as if he had been burned, quickly scrambling back to his desk. 

“Sorry for that interruption, I trust you were well behaved while I was gone?” Asked Hirota-sensei, raising an eyebrow at him and Sawada as they were the only ones in the class still standing. 

Sawada nodded simply and sat back down, while he just stared at her, baffled. Was that why she never stopped or intervened in what just happened? When had she even left the class? 

“I uh- sorry sensei.” He blurted out, face flushing once again, and sat back down at his desk. 

“Alright, now, where was I?” Sensei carried on as if nothing happened, and he fought futility to keep his eyes off Sawada for the rest of the lesson. 

  


* * *

  


The day dragged on and on for Takeshi until _finally_ the bell rang and everyone got up to start cleaning. He watched as Sawada grabbed his stuff and fled the class and he rushed to get his own things and get out of the classroom to follow. 

“Hey- Sawada, wait!” Takeshi gasped out as he caught up to the boy just as he was about to leave the building. He bent forward, holding his knees and catching his breath. 

“Haha. You’re really fast Sawada.” He said, scratching the back of his neck nervously as Sawada gazed back at him. 

“What do you want?” Asked the boy and Takeshi shifted from foot to foot trying to find the right words. 

“I um. I just wanted to- uh, say sorry for what happened in class. Mochida was being really mean. If you- if you don't want to play any games with us I won't ask anymore. But maybe we could just, ya’know, hang out together and do something else you would like?” He fumbled with his words, staring nervously at Sawada. 

“Yamamoto you- you should stay away from me.” Sawada blurted out, suddenly looking as nervous as Takeshi felt. 

“Wha- but why?” He asked back, confused. 

“Just-just stay away. You’ll be happier. Your life won't be as chaotic, _dangerous._ You can play baseball all you like and go home to your dad and live a better life and you could- you could-” 

“But why can’t I do that with you around?” He interrupted as Sawada was getting more and more worked up. 

“Why does wanting to be your friend change any of that?” Takeshi asked, watching as Sawada’s shoulders slumped inward. 

“It just does, okay?” Sawada muttered angrily, his orange eyes trained on the floor. 

“You can’t know any of that.” Takeshi shot back. 

“I can-” 

“No you can’t.” 

“Would you just shut up!” 

“But Sawada you can’t-” 

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” 

“Why-” 

“Because I don't know what to do _Takeshi!_ I'm nothing but a liar! A fraud! I'm a _fake_ in everything I _say_ or _do!_ I’m just the changeling that replaced Sawada Tsunayoshi in the crib before he even had the chance to _grow!_” 

Takeshi’s eyes were wide and his mouth slightly agape. His mind was whirring to find something to say, _anything_ to say. 

Sawada angrily rubbed away the tears that had pooled in the corners of his eyes and turned, quickly walking to the door. 

“Goodbye Yamamoto-san.” Muttered Sawada, not bothering to turn around as he stepped outside and left the school. 

The sound of the door shutting and the resounding silence was deafening to his ears. He stood there numbly, still staring at the spot Sawada once stood. Trying to make some sort of sense of what was just said and the oddity that was the boy named Sawada Tsunayoshi. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a (not so) fun fact about the chapter! 
> 
> Takeshi's mom dies a week after this event and Takeshi ends up being too busy grieving to pester Tsuna more.
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“-It is patient and forgiving_  
_when all others are forsaking,_  
_And it never fails or falters_  
_even though the heart is breaking...”_  
_\- A Mother’s Love, Helen Steiner Rice_  
Nana’s thoughts on her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :D

“Oh _Tsu-kun!”_ Nana gasped, dropping the rag she had been using to clean and ran towards the sprawled-out form of her son laying at the bottom of the staircase. He looked dazed, eyes glassy with the start of tears, and had one hand raised to press at his head. At the sound of her hurried footsteps, she saw her son look up to her and she sunk down onto the floor beside him, tentatively reaching out her hand to grasp at his wrist and pull it away from where he was pressing it to his head. 

From his forehead down past his cheek, her sons face was marred by the beginnings of a bad bruise. Nana reached out slowly, wrapping her arms around her child and pulled him into her lap. Her son pressed the non injured side of his face into her chest, clinging to her tightly, and she let out a shaky breath. 

“Are- Are you hurt anywhere else? Your arms? Your legs? How much does your head hurt? Do you feel dizzy or faint or-” The rush of questions came tumbling out of her mouth before the sound of her son’s voice interrupted her. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t- I won’t be able to balance right anymore. I didn’t mean to make you worry.” Her son was quiet, he was always quiet, but his voice now held an audible tremble when he finally whispered those words to her. She stared wide-eyed down at her son and he gazed back, giving her a wobbly smile, eyes still wet with unfallen tears. Her baby boy was holding back his tears trying to be strong, but that just made Nana want to cry for him instead. 

It was the third time this week he had fallen down the stairs. And the ninth time he had tripped or fallen all together. Nana just couldn’t understand _why._ He had gotten really sick after her dear Iemitsu and his boss had left, and she had thought the loss of balance had been related to whatever bug he had caught, but after taking him to the doctors they couldn’t find anything wrong with him. Now, a week after he got better, her son still found himself tripping over air and getting hurt and _she doesn’t know how to make it better. She doesn’t know how to help her own child get better._

Shutting her eyes, Nana held her son tightly, threading her fingers through his hair. Softly humming a song under her breath, she felt her son relax in her grip. 

“You don’t ever have to apologise about worrying me Tsu-kun, its a mother’s job to worry about her precious child.” She opened her eyes and smiled down at her son. 

“Lets go get you some ice now, ne?” she said, shifting him in her arms so she could slowly try and stand up. 

“Okay” Her son replied, his voice quiet but lacking the tremble it had before. Nana freed her arm from where she had moved it to hold her son and just ruffled his hair with a smile. 

  


* * *

  


It was a beautiful day out. 

Sunlight streamed through the wide living room widows, illuminating the pages of the recipe book in Nana’s lap that she was fruitlessly trying to keep her focus on. It _was_ a nice day out, and Nana had been planning to take her son to the park so that he could play with the other children but- 

Her son still hasn’t gotten any better. _If anything,_ Nana thought bitterly, _his mobility has gotten worse._ It was getting hard for him to even walk without him losing his balance and tripping on air. The other day she had gone to pick her Tsu-kun up from school and her heart had sunk into her stomach at what she saw happen because of said lack of balance. 

_ Nana quickened her pace as she made her way towards Namimori Elementary School. She had lost track of time when she was in the kitchen baking and at this rate she was going to be a little more than 10 minutes late to pick up her son. Letting out a sigh, she turned her last street corner and found herself in front of the busy building. Tsuna liked it when she would arrive early so there weren't as many people, but now with her coming later than she’d planned the front of the school was full of young children having fun and running around. _

_ Continuing forward, her eyes scanned the gathered children, trying to find her son when her eyes fell upon a group of children crowded in a circle. Are they playing some sort of game? She thought to herself. The children were young, but they looked around her sons age. Maybe she could ask them If they’ve seen him? _

_ Walking closer, Nana stiffened when she heard the taunts and jeers coming out of the majority of them. _

_ “Hey freaky-Tsuna! Why are you so useless?” _

_ “Yea, why are you such a dame?” _

_ “He’s a dame-Tsuna! He can't even walk right!” _

_ Nana pushed her way into the into the center of the group of children only to see her son on the ground, trying to get up only to be **shoved back down.** _

Nana had _words_ with those boys afterwards, very _**angry**_ words about how it was absolutely _not acceptable_ for them to be behaving and treating others like that. 

...There had been more stares directed at her after she had publicly scolded those boys, but Nana brushed them off. Half the neighborhood women already shunned her for not being able to keep her husband home, a few more stares are _nothing_ if it meant defending her child from a few spoiled children. 

_Still, the lack of mobility was a problem if her son was beginning to get bullied over it._ No matter how many doctor appointments she has made, they still haven’t found anything that could be causing it. Her son was only seven, and so were his peers, yet there are children who are already starting to shun him because of the clumsiness. _Sometimes,_ thought Nana morosely, _children can be far too cruel to those they don't understand._

Nana looked over to where her son sat, his head was tilted downwards and his orange eyes (and wasn’t that a surprise? That her brown eyes and Iemitsu’s blue could create such a lovely shade of orange?) were trained on the page of the book he was currently flipping through, and her eyes widened. _Reading. How had she not thought of that before?_ Not all friends are formed from physical activities like sports or playground games, favourite books can be of a common interest too. And if her son gains a few friends, then that could deter others from making fun of him. 

“Hm, Tsu-kun?” Nana’s voice rang out in the quiet room and her son paused his reading to raise his head from his book and look at her. 

“Hai?” Her son replied, his head tilting slightly to the side as he did so.

“What book are you reading? Is it a book any of your classmates have read?” Nana questioned, smiling at her son as she did so. 

Now that she asked, Nana realised there was something odd about the book that she couldn’t quiet place. _Was it the way her son's eyes flitted over the page as he read? Where did he get the book from anyway? The school library?_ She couldn’t remember if she had gotten him a library card setup yet but she doesn’t recognize the book as any of her own. 

“I-um, no? No one in my class has read this.” Her son sounded confused by her questioning, shifting on the couch to what looked like a more comfortable position while waiting for her to continue. 

“Ah? Why don’t you recommend it to a few of your classmates so that they can read it too. I used to have a friend who would recommend the best books to me after she had read them.” Nana continued. She wished Iemitsu was here. He always had been better at inspiring others, and their son could use that now more than ever. 

“No one would be able to read it.” Her son answered and Nana furrowed her brows at his reply. _What?_ At her confused look her son spoke again. 

“It’s- it’s in English.” Her son confessed before hastily adding, “I’ve been studying it.” 

Oh. _Oh._

“That’s _incredible_ Tsu-kun! It must have taken you so long to learn it till you could read a full book! I’m really proud you Tsu-kun.” She beamed at her son, “But- just, don’t forget that it’s important to have some rest time too. Everyone needs time when they can just play or do a hobby, I don’t want you overworking yourself to much.” 

“I don’t spend all my time studying. It hasn’t been too hard to learn. I-” Her son went silent, like he was trying to work out what to say before he finally finished with a quite, “I draw sometimes too. So I’m okay. You don’t have to worry.” 

Her eyes flitted dowards and her hands gripped her near-forgotten book a little tighter. _If she had missed all of her son’s studying to learn another language and his interest in art, what else did she miss? How had she missed so much?_ It was hard, raising her son alone with Iemitsu’s sporadic visits speckled inbetween, but it was no excuse for her to not pay attention to her own child. 

Reading English books won’t gain her son many friends, (well not now at least, maybe in a few years time when their classes included more English the other children might find him interesting.) but art was a great hobby to have. Everyone liked seeing a pretty picture. 

“Well, we don’t have many things to draw with at the moment, but I’ll see about picking up some supplies the next time we need groceries. How does that sound?” Nana inquired, finally breaking the small silence that had fallen, and at her words her son looked at her like she had hung the moon and stars for him and him alone. 

“Kaa-san _thank you._” He whispered fervently. 

Nana looked upon her son, upon his slightly wet eyes (he must have gotten that from her, she had always been a crier-) and his _smile,_ his small but earnest smile, and _knew_ that she’d do _anything_ for him. Anything to keep him happy and whole and _smiling,_ for as long and she lived. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Actual) fun fact about the chapter-  
The book Tsuna is reading is the 1990 print of Good Omens by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and it’s currently Tsuna’s most prized possession. (~˘▾˘)~


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a small bar in Italy, the World’s Greatest Hitman takes a job.

The bar was loud, a cacophony of noise reverberated throughout the building as people hollered back and forth, chairs scraped against the floor, and glasses clinked upon table tops. Smirking, Reborn took a small sip of his drink and watched with amused eyes as yet another brawl broke out between some of regulars at the bar and a few no-name mafioso. _They may be utterly useless at their jobs, but they did provide some level of entertainment_ he thought as he watched them squabble back and forth. 

Reborn narrowed his eyes before placing his glass back onto the table and languidly shifting his head to the side. Seconds later, an empty glass came flying past where his head had previously been and shattered upon the wall behind him. _Tch, Amateurs._ Without saying a word, Leon crawled down from his hat to his hand and became his signature green and black gun that fit snugly in his palm. The sharp sound of him cocking said gun caused a tense hush to fall upon the bar and all eyes turned to focus on him. 

Through the gathered crowd a younger looking man whimpered as he was forcefully shoved out into the open to face the full force of Reborn’s ire. 

“I-I am _so_ sorry Re-Reborn s-sir! I sw-_swear it won’t happen again!”_ The man stuttered feebly as his legs shook in fear. 

Reborn stared at the quivering mafioso in front of him and scoffed. _Weak._ He thought to himself, _Vongola’s getting lax if even these buffoons are apart of the family._ Not a moment later an older man walked over and smacked the younger mafioso in the head to halt his stammering. 

“It’s Reborn. Hmm, looks like you were called by the old man again, eh?” The man's voice was gruff as he squinted at Reborn before knocking back a shot. 

“Must be tough being popular.” Another chimed in, “Going to Roma next? Venezia?” 

_Well,_ Reborn thought, _he has never been one to pass up the chance to create a little chaos now, has he?_ With a smirk, Reborn answered the inquiry with a single word. 

“Japan.” 

There was a moment of silence after Reborn’s curt reply before the entire bar erupted into noise even louder than earlier as the implications of what he said finally sunk in. 

“What!?” A man hurriedly exclaimed. 

“I can’t believe it!” Another shouted out. 

“The old man must’ve finally made up his mind!” The older mafioso said, leaning back in his chair, running a hand through his hair looking as if the world had tilted on a different axis. 

Reborn didn’t bother with a reply, instead hoping down from the stool he had been sitting on. 

“Looks like it’s going to be a long journey.” as Reborn uttered those words he tilted his head downwards slightly, his hat casting shadows onto his face as he made his way out of the bar. 

_To teach a 12-year-old civilian how to be a mafia boss for the largest mafia in the world? This job is sure to be an interesting one._

  


* * *

  


Reborn walked silently through the early morning streets of Namimori, waiting. The tutoring flier he drew up earlier for Sawada Nana to soon find had been folded up neatly and placed into her mailbox. For now, Reborn stalked the streets mentally tallying all the hidden spots and things of interest he could find as he bided his time until her inevitable phone call. 

_And oh were there things of interest._ From retired swordsmen, to Fon’s nephew _(it was still unnerving, seeing Fon’s face again),_ to a young teen nearly _leaking_ sun flames as they ran about town whilst shouting, Namimori was far from a normal civilian town. And even if it had been, with him here training the Vongola heir no town _would_ remain the same. 

On top of his hat, Leon buzzed and Reborn reached up to grasp him. Leon shifted, smoothly becoming a phone for Reborn just as he pressed where he knew the ‘answer call’ button would now be. 

“Ciaossu, Reborn speaking.” He spoke out into the phone. 

“Ano- Reborn-san? From the home tutoring flier?” Sawada Nana inquired over the phone. 

“This is he.” 

“My name is Sawada Nana, I-” The woman paused for a moment, as if considering something, before continuing, “What all do you teach?” 

_Hmm._ Sawada Nana should have jumped right away at the chance to get a home-tutor for her son, forgoing any questions, her hesitation was odd. 

“I teach any and all subjects. Any student of mine would be required to learn as much as possible to become the best they could possibly be.” Well- almost, Pipsqueak-Dino still needed to work on not being such a klutz when not around his subordinates, but he’s still far from the clumsy wanting-nothing-to-do-with-the-mafia boy he once was. 

“Can- can you teach my son to defend himself?” Her voice sounded out from the other side of the call, unsure but determined. 

Reborn raised an eyebrow. _That certainly wasn’t what he had been expecting to hear from her, but it serves his purpose just as well._

“That is perfectly within my capabilities, but may I ask why you want your son to learn how to fight?” 

The woman sounded defeated as she answered his inquiry with a quiet, “Because people hurt him.” 

Ah, an unfortunate fact, but nonetheless a predictable one. Sawada Tsunayoshi had _far_ below average grades and both his physical and social skills were said to be near nonexistent, it wouldn’t be that far of a stretch to imagine that other children bully him over those lackluster qualities. Though, Reborn knew not to voice any of those thoughts to Sawada Nana, he _was_ a gentleman. And only a fool would go about upsetting their soon-to-be student’s mother after all. 

Instead, Reborn feigned ignorance and simply asked Nana, “People harm your son? Who?” 

It was quiet for a moment, before a choked sob came from the other side of the line. 

“_Everyone._ This entire kami-forsaken town! They bully and belittle him, call him _useless_ and _dame._ I’ve tried, _kami I’ve tried,_ to help him as much as I can. I’ve been to countless parent-teacher conferences and even met with the principal but- _every time_ I bring up helping _my son_ in question I’m _laughed_ out of the room! I _can’t_ do _this alone anymore!_

“_Please_ Reborn-san. I’ll- I’ll pay you _anything_ to help my son.” Sawada Nana sounded _desperate_ as she begged a complete stranger over the phone to help her and her son. Reborn paused, saying nothing, glaring ahead with his thoughts racing. _How could an entire town be bullying a 12-year-old? Why would they? That kind of harassment wasn’t mentioned at all in any of the information he was given. It didn’t make any sense._ But- the woman was sincere in what she said, and if she apparently whole-heartedly believed an _entire town_ was harassing her son Reborn was hardly going to discredit that info as unfounded. No one would go as far as to _beg_ a _stranger_ for help unless they knew they absolutely needed it. The obvious glaring lack of _reliable_ information that Iemitsu had provided him with was beginning to become an aggravating problem. 

“I _will_ tutor your son Sawada-san, and don’t worry over pricing, you won’t have to pay a single yen. A room is all that I require. Although something to make my morning coffee with _would_ be appreciated.” 

“I- _thank you_ Reborn-san. _Thank you so much.”_

“Of course. I will be arriving at 9:00am tomorrow to commence introductions and will do an assessment of the boy after, I will see you then.” 

“Oh! Yes, see you then.” 

The call clicked off and Leon became a camelon once again, resting gently on Reborn’s outstretched hand. _Well,_ time to collect his _own_ information on his student’s situation then. 

  


* * *

  


Slipping unseen into Namimori Middle School was child’s play, even with Fon’s nephew religiously stalking the buildings perimeter. The still early morning hours of the day made for the perfect time to look over his students school file, and any others he might find relevant, without being seen. _Not that it mattered much, his disguises were more than enough to fool a simple civilian._

It didn’t take much time for him to find the school’s main office, and with a twist of the key Leon had turned into Reborn stepped inside the dark room. The room was sparse, with a few rows of desks with computers on them and some filing cabinets lined along the back wall. _Well, might as well start there._

After flicking on the light, he carefully looked through the cabinets. It didn’t take long for him to find Sawada Tsunayoshi’s file. With the folders in the cabinets being organized alphabetically by surname it wouldn’t take a genius to find one report. But- what he found was troubling, his student’s file was _easily_ twice the size of those around it. 

Reborn took the file, opening the folder deftly to its first page, and frowned at the incident report that greeted him. Wasn’t the first page of a students file supposed to include general contact and medical information? Instead the first page in his student’s file, that looked like it had been haphazardly tossed into the folder, was an _incident report_ that was dated months ago, only reading a sparse, _‘Sawada fought Mochida.’_ which- _What? What the hell kind of incidentreport was that?_ There was no additional information on what happened or why a fight took place. And still, how could that be the _latest_ incident report when Sawada Nana mentioned the harassment like it was an ongoing problem? 

Reborn flipped further through the large folder, stopping at a report dated two years ago and read, _‘Sawada and Kimura fought after an argument took place, first aid was administered to the former after a warning was given to him not to fight again.’_

Reborn glared at the report in front of him, analyzing the wording carefully. _‘first aid was administered **after** a warning was given’_ So a teacher chose to scold an injured child _before_ tending to said injuries? And was Tsunayoshi the only one scolded for fighting, what about the other child? 

Skimming through the rest of the file, Reborn read similar reports that gradually became more detailed the older they were. It was likely that which ever faculty members that witnessed the harassment and had to write up a report for it each time had simply given up on Sawada Tsunayoshi after years of skirmishes that kept repeating. _What could cause adults to give up on a child? Especially when in ever incident report that was detailed enough to include an attached medical report,Tsunayoshi was the only one who was ever harmed?_

Soundless Reborn shut the folder and placed the file back into its spot in the filing cabinet. He got all the information he wanted here. Although, with school starting soon it _would_ be the perfect time for him to scope out one last place he had in mind. 

  


* * *

  


Sawada Tsunayoshi’s room, though quite messy, looked like an average room for a boy his age. Although that’s not to say Reborn liked that fact, or even tolerated it for that matter. There was trash littering the floor, dirty clothes and manga books strewn across the room, and a bed left with covers tangled up and unmade. Reborn shook his head at the sight, wrinkling his nose. How to properly clean a room will definitely have to be one of the first things he teaches his student to do. He_was_ going to be living here after all. 

Reborn shifted from where he stood, turning towards the open window to leave before he halted his actions, coming to an abrupt stop. 

_Hmm, now what’s this?_

In the corner of the half-open closet, a shock of colour stood out from underneath a dirty and crumpled shirt that had been half thrown on top of it. 

Raising an eyebrow, Reborn walked swiftly to the half-open closet and pushed the door open the rest of the way. He gripped the material of the old shirt with a hand and tugged it away, carefully observing what was now uncovered. 

A small shelf stood on the ground before him, with art supplies stacked on its shelves, neatly separated by type and all organized by colour. 

Reborn raised an eyebrow at the sight. _Now why bother being so meticulous about organization when everything else is left in disarray?_ Letting out a sharp sigh, he tossed the shirt back onto the shelf and went about checking the rest of the closet. 

There wasn’t much to the closet, only a few jackets and other clothes hung on the closet rod inside, junk littered the floor of the closet beside the shelf, and atop the shelf suspended above the closet rod were old boxes covered in a fine layer of dust. Never one to half-ass his way through life, Reborn narrowed his eyes before leaping up onto the dusty shelf to continue his search. 

Reborn pressed his lips together and shook his head. The boxes yielded a similar result as the rest of the closet, only having old clothing and toys stuffed inside them. With a little help from Leon he opened the very last box the closest had to offer him, a small and old box, tucked away in the very back of the shelf. 

The box was just full of old well-read books and a few sketchbooks with what looked like portrait sketches in theme. Reborn fixed his eyes upon the books, furrowing his brow. 

“Are those in _English?”_ He asked aloud into the quiet room, Leon just stared at him inquisitively from his perch on one of the other boxes. 

Checking the contents again, he confirmed his suspicions. The books were indeed all English fantasy novels. But how is it that his student _who barely ever got a grade above 15%_ had a good enough grasp on english to have been reading English novels for the past few _years?_

_Hm. Maybe his dame-student was more than what meets the eye._

  


* * *

  


The next day at 8:00am sharp Reborn slipped silently into the Sawada household through an open window. As he made his way further into the house the clear voices of Sawada Nana and his student mid-conversation greated him. Hmm, it seems as though Sawada Tsunayoshi was awake. How _unfortunate_ that he won’t be waking his student up on the first day of his tutoring. 

“-Oh my…” Sawada Nana sighed out before saying, “Tsu-kun, a home tutor is coming today!” 

His student took in a sharp breath at Sawada Nana’s declaration, stilling, and Reborn took that opportunity to finally make himself known. 

_“Ciaossu!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about the writing process!
> 
> Suddenly going from writing absolutely nothing to writing _three different pov’s in a month_ has been a challenge, so I’ve just been listening to khr songs for motivation when writing each chapter. “STAND UP!” is a _jam._
> 
> ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> Next chapter (and most of the rest of the story) is gonna be in Tsuna’s pov~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The deceit of life; the validity of death. A girl once died. A boy never lived. She despaired._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left a kudo/comment! They mean alot to me and I cherish every one I get. \\(*ˊᗜˋ*)/

Evelyn awoke to the sharp sound of an alarm clock and a deep, _deep_ ache in her chest. The haze of sleep passed by slowly, dissipating like rain on a window, complacently melting away just as more takes its place. It had become a struggle every morning, to try and pull herself up from sleep while battling her perpetually foggy head. 

Sitting up, her hands shook minutely as she shoved the covers off herself, before threading those numb shaking fingers through her hair with bated breath. _How did Tsuna do this?_ How did he live? How did he _survive_ with ice rushing through his veins and bones as heavy as lead? 

She shook her head sharply, banishing the thoughts, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. A shiver ran down her spine as her feet met with the icy floor and she stumbled her way to the dresser. Standing stiffly, staring straight ahead, she fumbled as she tried to put on her uniform, numb fingers struggling to do up the buttons she refused to look down and see.

It’s... hard to imagine her ever getting used to _that._

Evelyn let out a quiet breath before stalking out of Tsuna’s room. Making her way to the bathroom, she shut the door behind her before turning on the light with a flick of her wrist. 

Sawada Tsunayoshi’s unsmiling face stared back at her from the mirror, sky-orange eyes trained on her every move. His eyes _burned_ into her, his frown deepening and Evelyn dug her nails into her palms, looking away.

If- if this was at least the _anime_ she could have kept her eyes, instead- she has _**nothing.**_

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. _The constant wait made her mind wander too much._ There were never any real dates, well any _exact_ dates, mentioned besides birthdays, and Evelyn was left to wonder when Reborn’s inevitable arrival would occur.

She doesn’t know how long she can keep this charade up. _Wouldn’t Reborn eventually notice that something was off anyway? That she wasn’t real?_ But she _had_ to keep it going, it was her only hope. She was reborn in a world where the mafia was much more prevalent and so much _stronger_ than it had been before, where she stole away the life of the one person who was tasked with _fixing it_ and left herself with the duty instead. She would never survive against his enemies, _especially_ if she went and changed things. ...The story finishes with a happy ending, she just has to pretend long enough to see it.

_She doesn’t want to **die** again._ Not when she has already lost everything, not when she can’t even remember what robbed her of her life in the first place.

Evelyn hoped that one day she’ll be able to radiate the same kind of awe-inspiring warmth that Tsuna did, won’t have to fake it as much in the future, because right now- all she felt was _cold._

  


* * *

  


Evelyn went slowly down the stairs, eyes trained on her feet, taking care with each step. Tsuna’s mom worried when she fell too much around her, and despite falling every day the pain from all the tumbles she took never lessened. She’d like to say she’s glad she could suffer the abuse in Tsuna’s place so he wouldn’t have to, but then she remembers it wasn’t just the pain she took away from him. She also stole his chance at happiness, at family, and the guilt eats away at her everyday.

The sound of Nana’s humming broke her out of her musings. Looking up she saw Tsuna’s mother walking carefully towards the kitchen, arms shaking slightly as she carried a heavy box within them. Evelyn rushed forward, nearly tripping on her own feat as her sense of balance twisted, and reached out to help steady the box in Nana’s arms.

With the extra help of her holding the other side of the box Nana no longer looked as strained. Tsuna’s mother took a few deep breaths before smiling at her.

“Thank you Tsu-kun! Just on the counter over there-” Nearly stumbling, the large package was placed upon the countertop with a small clunk. Letting out a sigh Evelyn wiped her forehead with the back of her hand before turning towards Nana.

“Kaa-san, what’s this all for?” She asked, slightly out of breath. Her arms were sore, even though the box hadn’t been much weight.

“It’s a gift!” Nana exclaimed, looking towards her.

Nana had always been so _kind_ to her. Evelyn wishes she hadn't. It would have been easier if Nana didn’t care, then maybe Nana wouldn't mind as much that she stole away the life of her son. Instead, it’s just yet another weight on her shoulders. 

Feeling eyes on her, Evelyn looked to Nana. The woman was frowning lightly, staring at her, her brows furrowed. Stepping forward towards her, Nana reached a hand out and gripped her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Tsu-kun- I want you to be able to live feeling that it’s great to be alive!’”

“Kaa-san...”

“Oh my...” Nana sighed before another bright smile lit up her face. “Tsu-kun, a home tutor is coming today!”

A chill ran down Evelyn’s spine, colder than any she had felt before. She opened her mouth to talk, to _shout,_ she was supposed to say it was a scam wasn’t she? But she was silent, no words escaped her. _This is it,_ she thought to herself, _the curtains have risen, the show has begun._

**“Ciaossu!”**

_The word rang out like a death sentence, the moment just before the rope is let go when **all is silent** before a guillotine blade comes whizzing for her neck._

“I arrived an hour early, but I’ll begin my evaluation for you now.” The World’s Greatest Hitman said, voice ringing out with a faux cheer.

“Hey- who are you?” Tsuna’s mother asks and Evelyn’s eyes dart to Nana’s face, memorizing all the little details she could as she curls her hands into fists to try and hide the shaking.

“I’m Reborn, the home tutor.”

“Ara-” Nana exclaimed, voice tinted with confusion, “a Koro-pok-guru?”

Evelyn looks to Reborn and doesn’t mention the absurdity of it all. Doesn’t go quiet and make herself smaller like she instinctively wants too when presented with a crisis. Doesn’t do _anything_ she wants to do. Tsuna was always loud when confronted with Reborn’s chaos. So she would have to be too.

And so she was, even as Nana turned away to make some refreshments for them and Reborn took that chance to interrupt her rehearsed tirade by kicking her in the stomach before dragging her up the stairs to Tsuna’s room for privacy. She just played the part she was born to play, and tried not to break inside.

  


* * *

  


“My true line of work is assassinations.” Reborn’s calm voice filtered out into the room, “And my _real_ job is to make you into a mafia boss.”

“What!? A _mafia_ boss?” She shrieked as incredulously as she could.

“Yes. I’ve been assigned by Vongola Nono to train you to become an astounding mafia boss, using _any_ methods I see fit.” Spoke the World’s Strongest Hitman. And how absolute that sounded, _the World’s Strongest Hitman._ ...She couldn’t help but wonder, how many people had Reborn _killed_ to achieve that title? Too _keep_ it? How _many_ lives has he _**snuffed out? **_

...The thought made her feel sick.

“Hellooo-” Evelyn drew out the word to distract herself before shaking her head, “Is your head okay?”

“Do you want me to shoot you and prove it?” Reborn commented darkly, tilting his head, and a chill ran down her spine.

She breathed in sharply, quickly stuttering a _“What-”_ before Reborn interrupted her.

“I won’t shoot you right now though. You have school, don’t you?”

He acted so nonchalant for someone who just threatened _murder._ But- _school._ Her eyes widened, it was _morning,_ wasn’t this meeting supposed to take place at night? 

Evelyn’s stomach was doing flips as she ran out of the room, nearly tumbling down the stairs as she descended. _How did she change this? She’s tried so **hard** to keep everything the same- was it her art? She should have **never** allowed herself that luxury, that small familiarity of her last life, Tsuna never did art-_

“Oh Tsu-kun! Your breakfast!”

Evelyn paid no mind to Tsuna’s mother or the food she offered, only mumbling out a quick apology and a goodbye as she struggled to put on her shoes and stumble out the door. 

Tears of frustration stung Evelyn’s eyes, _she shouldn’t have rushed out as soon as she did,_ but the anxiety clawing at her stomach at the thought of ruining everything was nearly too much. _She always has been good at running from her problems, <strike>even before. </strike>_Although with Reborn now here following after her she can only hope the time difference wont matter too much in the long run. 

“Why are you following me? Don’t you have to go to grade school?” She snapped out, looking over to Reborn. It was easy letting her frustration fuel her words. _Acting is always more convincing if you take from your experiences and imitate what you already know. Anger is easy for her. <strike>Despair is easier.</strike>_

“I have a master’s degree in mathematics.”

Her mouth snapped shut at his reply and she curled her hands into fists, there was no use dwelling on the small changes then, she would just have to make sure that the major events of the story stayed the same. Then she’ll finally be safe.

“Quit- quit the assassin act already!” She stammered back.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a head of bright orange hair in the distance. Ah. She’s here. Kyoko was always so kind to everyone she meets, always smiling and spreading cheer, _<strike>Evelyn hopes little Isley grows up to be kind like that, even without her there teaching her, guiding her, like a big sister **should.**</strike>_

Kyoko was drawing near and Evelyn was trying to think of something, anything, until she had found it. A fleeting memory of walking into an occupied changing room while shopping. She felt her cheeks inevitably flush, and she dove behind a wall to hide.

Kyoko approached Reborn, a smile lighting up her face at the sight of him, excitedly dropping down to the ground to chat. _<strike>Will Isley be okay without her? Collen?</strike>_ Even with Reborn’s odd lines about the mafia, Kyoko remained so patient and _bright._ Evelyn wishes she could be like that again.

When Kyoko had left towards Namimori, Evelyn could feel Reborn’s gaze shift to her.

“You have a crush on that girl, don’t you Tsuna?” He inquired looking as if he already knew the answer. _Good. _

“Is that really any of your business!?”

“Hmm, possibly.” Reborn smirked, sounding smug.

“That’s enough! Just leave me alone!” She screeched her voice as shrill as she could make it.

“No.”

“Have you told her yet?”

“Of course not! Sasagawa Kyoko is our school’s idol, I’m not even in her league. It would be useless for me to confess my feelings.”

Evelyn’s glad Tsuna never actually got into a relationship during cannon. She doesn’t think she’d be able to stomach kissing a _child. _

Reborn hummed, staying quiet for a moment before speaking once more. “If you died, would you regret never having told her?”

“Wha-”

“Die, Tsuna.”

There was a gun in Reborn’s hand. A sleek black gun _pointed right at her._

“A- A toy?” She couldn’t help the tremor in her voice. _<strike>The one thing she could have never prepared herself for. </strike>_

“It’s time for you to die.” His voice was _dark._

“H-Hey-” _<strike>She wasn’t ready.</strike>_ ”-would you s-stop your _mocking_ already?! I-I don’t see the point in me getting _killed!”_

“You’ll know when you die, dame-Tsuna.”

_ <strike>Please **no,** not again.</strike> _

Her ears rang with the sharp sound of a gunshot. A searing _pain_ coursed through her as a _**bullet** forced its way into the flesh of her forehead. _

  


_...and she knew no more._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  


_What does it mean, to regret?_

  


_Is it feeling sorrowful?_

  


_Being remorseful?_

  


_Being disappointed over something that happened or had been done?_

  


_Is it being repentant over missed opportunities?_

  


_Obsessing over thousands of ‘what if-’ s and ‘if only’ s?_

  


_She had so **many** regrets, how could she choose just one?_

  


_Harsh words, missed hugs, little white lies whispered in the night-_

_Dying._

_Living._

_ **Leaving.** _

_Yes. That must be what she regrets the most._

  


“Re-” _**-STOP! ******_

** **  
** **

_This isn’t how it’s **supposed** to **go!**_

_Stop **thinking** so much-_

_There’s too **much** on the line to mess up now!_

_She **has-**_

_She **has to-**_

**“Reborn! Tell Kyoko how I feel with my dying will!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about the chapter!  
After Nana’s phone call with Reborn she had been expecting him to be an adult, despite the childish voice Reborn had, as he had talked very maturely during their call. Now, when Nana saw Reborn’s small stature her first thought was to the Japanese myth of the Koro-pok-guru instead of just a weird genius kid.  
(/✪ｖ✪)/


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It’s dying will time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve to everyone who celebrates it! I’ve been really busy with school lately so the chapter took a bit longer than planned to make. Anyway, I hope everyone has a happy holidays :D

_ Ba-bump. _

_ Ba-bump. _

_ Ba-bump. _

She could hear her heart beating steadily in her chest, and an ever-so-familiar _ warmth _ rushing to accompany it. For the first time in years Evelyn felt like she could _ breathe _again. 

_ Oh how she had missed this feeling. _

Everything was a blur as she ran, nimbly dodging anyone in her way, as she rushed to where she knew -and knows- Kyoko would be.

_ Tsuna’s Hyper Intuition was stronger now _ , Evelyn thought to herself, _ the persistent tingling sensation in the back of her mind guiding her where she needs to go, away from what she needs to avoid, and informing her of Reborn’s suffocating presence following her all-the-while, was louder than it had ever been before. _

She leapt off the road she was on and landed swiftly onto the street below. Rising quickly, she turned to the shocked young girl standing before her.

“Sasagawa Kyoko!” She quickly blurted out, “I really admire how kind and honest you are, I can never be as compassionate as you anymore!”

_ That’s… _ she can work with that.

The young girl’s eyes widened at Evelyn’s words, _ at her state of dress, _before her face flushed and she let out a sharp cry while turning away to flee.

_ On our left, _ chimed the voice in her head.

She disregarded it’s advice as soon as she got it. There was nothing to be done, it’s supposed to be this way, after all. Although, hearing Tsuna’s Hyper Intuition _ speak _ was new, before the seal she had just- _ felt _. 

Mochida stalked over to her, face scrunched up and fuming, before raising his fist and striking out. The punch he threw felt weak, especially with her being in a dying will state, but she let the force of it throw her back onto the ground. 

Mochida was tense as he shouted at her, spitting out names _ -bastard, pervert!- _ before storming off after Kyoko. 

Evelyn would _never_ love Kyoko like Tsuna had, she had been_ 18 _when she died,_ and was even older now if you counted the years of her living this lie. _She’s not sure she’d be able to muster up romantic feelings for a 13 year old even if she had too._ But she’ll fake it, fake anything, until she gets her happy ending._

Her stomach tensed as the voice <strike>(her voice, not Tsuna’s, how odd, shouldn’t his flames, his _ blood _ , reflect _ his _ voice?)</strike> in her mind spoke to her once again, _ The sun approaches, our time is up. _

Evelyn gasped as the seal snapped back into place not moments before Reborn arrived to stand in front of her. The glowing orange flame that sat atop her crown feebly sputtered out under the sheer force of the seal. A chill ran down her spine as ice once again flooded her veins.

“Dying will bullets only last 5 minutes, after that you revert back to normal.” Said Reborn.

“Y-you _ shot me in the head!” _Evelyn screeched out, she felt lethargic, already crashing from the adrenaline the dying will bullet provided her.

The man-turned-chibi just smirked.

“This,” he said holding up the projectile, “is the dying will bullet. Anyone who is shot with this will resurrect with their dying will if they regret strongly enough at the point of death. Good job Dame-Tsuna, if you didn’t regret enough you would be dead.”

“I would have _ died?” _She said quietly, clenching her fists and looking away.

It was her mistake that she chose to look down instead of anywhere else. It was stupid,_ she _was stupid, even if she wasn’t use to this body, comfortable in it, she still had the past 12 -nearly _13_ _years_\- to at least tolerate it. Even with Tsuna’s admittedly delicate looks she could say with 100% certainty he _was_ a _boy_ but- It hit her like a kick to the stomach, a sickly nauseating feeling. Even if it wasn’t the wrong body, being _half naked in the middle of the street_ made her feel ill.

Reborn must have seen her face, _ she must have not masked her emotions well enough _ , for when she turned to flee back home- to Tsuna’s mother, to Tsuna’s _ room _\- he let her.

* * *

Evelyn took a deep breath, another, and steadied her rapidly beating heart. Nana had been concerned when she had burst back inside the home half naked and frantic, but she and just waved off Nana’s questions with a quick utter of, “I was feeling sick so I came back home.” before rushing up the stairs into Tsuna’s room, shutting the door behind her.

She shook her head. _ These feelings would go away eventually. _ They had too, and wasn’t- wasn’t exposure therapy a thing? With all the times Tsuna is shot by Reborn with the dying will bullet she’s sure things will get better, easier. She’ll be strong, just as Tsuna had once been.

She will live the life Tsuna couldn’t.

Letting out a sigh, her now pyjama-clad body sunk down onto the messy covers of the bed and she stared blankly up at the ceiling.

“In the future, needlessly skipping school will _ not _ be something I tolerate.” 

She flinched at the sudden sound of Reborn’s voice, rapidly sitting up and whirling her head to where the sound had come from in shock.

Reborn looked at her importantly and she <strike>-oh god what does she _do?_ Say? None of this is _right-_</strike> just swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

“What kinds of bullying do you undergo?”

“I-what?”

Reborn stared at her for a long moment before clarifying, “Physical? Verbal? Social? Sexu-”

** _“NO!” _ ** She quickly shouted, interrupting Reborn before he could finish his sentence. Revulsion twisting in her gut at the sheer _ thought- _ “No. _ Never. _”

Reborn said nothing and just stood at the end of her bed, patiently waiting. 

<strike>NononowhydoesRebornthink_ that!? _ What does she _ do!? _</strike>

_ Oh, _that’s- that’s what he’s waiting for, isn’t it?

Evelyn swallowed her fear and spoke, cobbling words together as she went. “They call me names, that’s _ all. _ Dame-Tsuna, worthless, freak. I was hit me a few times in the past, but no one bothers to do it anymore. I was too dame to make it fun for them.”

With the click of his tongue, Reborn shook his head.

“I was assigned by the Ninth boss of the Vongola family to come to Japan and raise _ you _ to become a mafia boss. The Ninth had been planning to pass the status to his most qualified son, Enrico, but the boy was shot in a feud.” 

Reborn held up a photograph, it looked like a poorly photoshopped picture of someone who had been shot many times, _ nauseating _ to look at but- she doubted even _ Reborn _ would go around showing off real pictures of Nono’s dead sons.

“The young number 2, Massimo, was drowned.”

He held up another picture which showed a man underwater, mid-drowning. Which- _ really? _ Evelyn knew to Reborn Tsuna was just a 12 year old civilian, but that photo made absolutely _ no _ sense. Even in the mafia, why would someone take a picture of their _ drowning _ boss instead of _ helping? _ And if it was taken by the people who _ killed him _ why hadn’t the Vongola wiped them and that picture off the map?

“And the favourite child, Federico, was all but reduced to bone.”

He held up the last photo, which was literally just a skeleton. The bones arranged in the shape of a skull-and-crossbones and everything.

This was _insane_ <strike>(not _as_ insane as reincarnating into a once-fictional universe)</strike> but- Evelyn couldn’t help the feeling of relief blossoming inside her chest. That, despite her initial missteps and the craziness that is going on, canon is still going the way it _should._ That what’s _supposed_ to happen is still happening. A man-turned-baby tutoring a child to become a mafia boss is her normal now. There may have been some differences and discrepancies, but so far they haven’t affected the plot.

_ She hasn’t messed it all up. She can still do this. _

“-So that leaves the only other candidate left to take the position of the Tenth, _ you. _”

She hid her relief with wide-eyed shock and an incredulous query of, “_ What? _ Why is it like _ that?!” _

“Blood is _ important _ to the Vongola Family. The Vongola’s first boss retired early and crossed over to Japan. That was your great great great grand-father. So, you are a part of the Vongola bloodline and a legitimate boss candidate.” Said Reborn.

“Don’t worry.” He said, voice lacking any real comfort. “I’ll make you into a fine mafia boss.”

Evelyn felt lighter than she had in years as she repeatedly denied the position of boss the rest of the day.

* * *

The classroom became an uproar the moment she stepped through the door and Evelyn cringed at the blaring onslaught. There were taunts and jeers coming from every direction. Absentmindedly, she looked over to Kyoko. Despite being near the rowdy kids the girl was doing her work quietly, ignoring the ruckus going on around her like it wasn’t even there.

_ Huh, _ with a brother like Ryohei she was probably _ used _ to the noise.

Evelyn turned on her heel and went out the door, nearly barrelling into the boys that had gathered outside the class.

“Hey! You can’t go home yet. Captain Mochida is waiting for you in the dojo.” Spoke the boy in front of her, hand locking themselves on her wrists so she wouldn’t run. <strike>Heh, it’s not like she _ would. _</strike>

“Wait!” She shrieked as the boys gathered and hoisted her up into the air and carted her off.

“There you are you perverted stalker!” Mochida shouted, both at Evelyn and in an attempt to show off for the gathering crowd. “God may forgive a piece of shit like you, but I won’t! I shall spite you!”

He raved, looking like a puffed up bird, putting on a performance for all to see. _ Just like her, in a way. _

“Heh, don’t worry. It’s a _ simple _ duel that even an idiot like you could understand.”

She didn’t respond, her body jittering as she tried to sell the image of a kid freaking out as best as she could.

“_ You _ are a novice at kendo, so if you can get an ippon off me then you’ll win. If you can’t, well, _ I do. _” Mochida smirked before loudly proclaiming, “And of course, the prize will be Sasagawa Kyoko!”

She clenched her jaw. _No one should be treated as an object,_ <strike>God, she hopes Isley will never get treated like that</strike> but... Mochida’s what, _13?_ Everyone here is so _young_. They have so much time to learn and do _better_. And didn’t TYL!Takeshi imply he joined Vongola, or at least was associated to it, at some point? Mochida must have improved at least some in the years to come.

Shaking her head, Evelyn finally took her chance and slipped out of the gymnasium. Completely unseen by any, except the keen eyes of the Hitman hired to be Tsuna’s tutor, and counted the seconds as she waited to eventually be <strike>killed</strike> _shot_ again. 

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

_ She can _ ** _do_ ** _ this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about KHR:  
I’ve been re-reading KHR recently and I found it incredibly amusing how Reborn legitimately has photos of Nono’s dead sons to show Tsuna. But like Massimo’s photo really is literally of him mid-drowning? ლ(ᗒᗜᗕლ)


End file.
